Deflector for fans and the like



May 10, 1960 W. M. COPELAND DEFLECTOR FOR FANS AND THE LIKE Filed Feb.15, 1954 [)7 wen i: or: \A/M/Aam M Cope/and,

' H115 Attornqy.

. out the entire area being cooled.

fi t d? 2,936,109 DEFLECTOR FOR FANS AND THE LIKE William M. Copeland,Stratford, Conn., assign'or to General Electric Company, a corporationof New York Application February 15, 1954, Serial No. 410,253

12 Claims. 01. 230-274 My invention relates generally to an airdistributing device and, specifically, to a deflector for a fan or thelike.

When free air fans are used to cool or ventilate, it is a problem todisperse the air flow produced by such fans effectively. In addition toproducing an adequate flow of air, it is important, particularly insmall fans, i.e., personal fans which are intended to cool a limitednumber 1 that the individuals being cooled thereby experience adesirable feel of the air flow. Feel is defined for purposes of thisapplication as the cooling eifect sensed by a normal individual,however, it is actually measurable, in that velocity and pressurepatterns can be plotted for any particular fan, which will constitute agraphic f representation of the fans cooling effect. When large fans,i.e., room air circu1ators,,are employed, the primary purpose is todiffuse a large volume of air throughi If a deflector is not employedwith either type of fan, air will generally describe the path of aconical spiral emanating from the fan and having an increasing diameteruntil it is fully diffused into the room; disposition of a deflector infront of a fan will influence the pattern of dispersion of the air flow.With many of the currently employed deflectors, particularly thosecomprising spaced, parallel, horizontal or vertical'louvers, the feel ofthe air flow pattern is generally undesirable. In the case of ahorizontally or vertically louvered deflector, the effect is to producetwo small areas of peak velocity that are spaced in a field of thinlyspread air, i.e., air of low velocity; this produces anundesirable feel,for unless you are positioned at one of the precise points ofpeak'velocity, you do not ex perience an appreciable, cooling effect. Inthe case of a deflector having horizontally spaced, vertical louvers,the two points of peak velocity are vertically spaced, and in the caseof a deflector having vertically spaced, horizontal louvers, the twopoints of peak velocity are horizontally spaced.

It is an object of this invention to provide a deflector for a smallfan, such as a personal fan or the like, which will produce a highlydesirable pattern of air dispersion, i.e., a substantial area ofconcentrated, moderately high velocity air.

It is another object of this invention to provide a deflector for alarge fan, such as aroom air circulator or the like, which will difiusethe large volume of air delivered by the fan.

The objects of my invention are accomplished by providing a louvereddeflector having four quadrants wherein the louvers are disposed in apredetermined, significant-manner in each quadrant, in association witha fan having its fan blades. of appropriate pitch and direction ofrotation.

Other objects and further details of that which I believe to be noveland my invention will be clear from the following description and claimstaken from the acqgmna y n d aw n s, herein' atent Patented May 10, 19

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a fan incorporating my invention.

Figure 2 is a front elevation view of a modified deflector incorporatingmy invention.

In Figure 1, there is shown an enclosed fan, sometimes termed a cabinetfan, which generally comprises a base 12 and a main body 14.- It shouldbe realized, however, that my invention is not limited to any specifictype of fan or air flow producing device, in that it is concernedprimarily with the configuration of the deflector which is generallyindicated by reference numeral 16 in Figure 1. Deflectors falling withinthe purview of my invention may be used on a wide variety of fans, suchas, but not limited to, oscillating, non-oscillating, floor, wall, deskand window fans.

The body 14 is mounted on the base 12 by supporting legs 18, and may beeither adjustably mounted thereon or stationary. The details of themanner of attachment of the deflector 16 to the body portion 14 areneither shown nor described since they form no part of this invention.

The deflector 16, which is the heart of my invention, is divided intothe quadrants A, B, C and D (which arev herein termed the first, second,third and fourth'quadrants, respectively) by the intersecting verticalslat 2d and horizontal slat 22, which are secured to the substantiallyrectangular frame 24 at their outer extremities. If it is intended touse the fan as a personal fan, quadrants A. and C are filled with aplurality of horizontally spaced, parallel, vertical louvers 26; andquadrants B and D are filled with a plurality of vertically spaced,parallel, hori zontal louvers 28. The main body portion 14 comprisesasubstantially rectangular, hollow casing 30 having aconventional guardon its rear side (not shown), whichtogether with deflector 16 house aconventional motor (not shown) and fan blade assembly 32. The fan bladeas-. sembly 32, as viewed in Figure l, rotates in a clockwise directionwhen the motor is energized and produces a flow of air from the rear ofthe fan, through the rear guard casing 30, and out through deflector 16.The effect of the deflector 16 upon the air stream produced by the fanblade assembly 32 is to concentrate it into a substantial area ofmoderately high pressure and high velocity air directly in front of thefan, and to thereby provide better feel.

Figure 2 illustrates a modified deflector 4-0 which comprises thecircular frame 42 having intersecting horizontal slat 44 and verticalslat 46, which together divide the deflector into the quadrants E, F, Gand H, which are herein termed the first, second, third and fourthquadrants, respectively. Observation of Figure 2 will establish thatquadrants .E and G have vertically spaced,

.for a personal fan, deflector 40 must be used with a fan blade that hasits blades of a pitch which is reversed to the pitch of the blades offan blade assembly 32 illustrated in Figure 1, and such fan blade mustrotate in a counterclockwise direction. I

If it is intended to use the fan shown in Figure 1 as a room aircirculator, wherein air diffusion is the primary purpose, it is onlynecessary to do either of the following: (1) dispose the louvers in thedeflector 16 as the louvers in deflector 40 of Figure 2 are disposed,i.e., disposethe horizontal louvers in the first and third quadrants,and the vertical louvers in'the second and fourth quadrants; or (2)retain the deflector 16 in its form shown in Figure 1, and reverse thepitch and direction of rotation of the fan blade assembly 32. Of course,fans other than the one shown in Figure 1 may be used as room air =circulators, and still incorporate my invention, as longas I 3 therelationship of fan blade pitch and direction of rotation to deflectorlouver disposition is maintained. The effect of the deflector, when itis associated with a fan to be used asa roomair circulator, is todisperse the air stream anddifluse the air.

From the foregoing it should be apparent that the details ofconstructionof the fan, other than the deflector, form no part of my invention andthat my improved deflectors may be used in connection with fans havingcasings of variousshapes and sizes, that the particular mountihg of thecasing is immaterial and that a large variety of fan blade assemblies,rear guards and motors may be used. It is only necessary that therelationship of the disposition of'the louvers in the various quadrantsand the pitch and direction of rotation of the fan blades be asdescribed above; that is, (1) when a personal fan is involved, the fanblades must have a pitch such as shown in Figure 1, must rotate in aclockwise direction, and the vertical louvers must be disposed in thefirst and third quadrants (in Figure l, quadrants A and C) and thehorizontal louvers must be disposed in the second and fourth quadrants(in Figure 1, quadrants B and D); or when the pitch and direction ofrotation of the fan blades are reversed, the disposition of the louversmust be as shown in Figure 2. (2) When a room air circulatoris-involved, the relationship of louver disposition in the deflector topitch and direction of rotation of the" fan blade assembly must bereversed to that which obtains when a personal fan is involved, i.e., ifthe pitch and direction of rotation is. as shown in Figure 1, the louverdisposition must be as shown in Figure 2, or if the louver dispositionis as shown in Figure 1, the pitch and direction of rotation of thefan'blade assembly in Figure 1 must be reversed.

' It should be specifically realized that there are other constructionsthat may be made that fall within the scope of this invention. Forexample, where it is desired to modify existing fan deflectors thatemploy spaced horizontal louvers exclusively, or spaced vertical louversexclusively, to acquire the benefits of my novel deflectors, it isintended to come within the scope of this invention for this to beaccomplished by clipping additional louvers onto those existing in twoof the appropriate quadrants to achieve the necessary louverrelationship dependent upon type of fan involved, i.e., small or large,and pitch and direction of rotation of the fan blades, as set forthabove. When modifying an existing fan deflector by clipping onadditional louvers, there will be both vertical and horizontal louversin two of'the quadrants; while this does not produce air distribution assatisfactorily as that produced by the deflectors illustrated, it issuperior to that produced by a completely horizontally or verticallylouvered fan deflector. It is my intention that the appended claimsshall cover such modifications and applications as do not'depart fromthe true spirit and scope of my invention.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the UnitedStates is:

1. An air distributing device having an air discharge opening, a fanmounted within said device with its axis of rotation at the center ofsaid opening, and a deflector positioned in said opening, said deflectorcomprising a generally vertical slat, a generally horizontal slatbisecting said generally vertical slat to form four substantially equalquadrants, the intersection of said slats being at the axis of rotationof said fan, two of said quadrants which are non-adjacent having aplurality of horizontally spaced, vertically disposed louvers providinga plurality of elongateduninterrupted spaces extending completely acrosseach of said two quadrants respectively, and the other two quadrantshaving a plurality of vertically spaced, horizontally disposed louversproviding a plurality of elongated uninterrupted spaces extendingcompletely across each ofsaid other two quadrants respectively.

. 2. A device as defined in claim 1 wherein. said fan includes fanblades that are mounted for. clockwise r- 4 tation when viewed from thefront of the device, wherein said vertically disposed louvers arelocated in the first and third quadrants of said deflector, and saidhorizontally disposed louvers are located in the second and fourthquadrants of said deflector.

3. A device as defined in claim 1 wherein said fan includes fan bladesthat are mounted for counterclockwise rotation when viewed from thefront of the device, wherein said vertically disposed louvers arelocated in the secincludes fan blades that are mounted for clockwiserotation when viewed from the front of the device, wherein saidvertically disposed louvers are located in the second and fourthquadrants of said deflector, and said horizontally disposed louvers arelocated in the first and third quadrants of said deflector.

5. A device as defined in claim 1 wherein said fan. includes fan bladesthat are mounted for counterclockwise rotation when viewed from thefront of the device, wherein said vertically disposed louvers arelocated in. the first and third quadrants of said deflector, and saidhorizontally disposed louvers are located in said second and fourthquadrants of said deflector.

6. An air distributing device comprising a casing having a front enddischarge openingand an open rear end, a- 1 fan mounted within saidcasing with its axis of rotation at the center of said opening, a guardat said rear end,

and a deflector positionedin said opening, said deflector comprising agenerally verticalslat, a generally horizontal slat bisecting saidgenerally vertical slat to form four substantially equal quadrants, theintersection of said slats being at the axis of rotation of said fan,two nonadjacent quadrants havinga plurality of vertically spaced,

horizontally disposed louvers providing aplurality of.

elongated uninterrupted spaces extending completely across each of saidtwo quadrants respectively, and the remaining quadrants having aplurality of horizontally spaced, vertically disposed louvers providinga plurality of elongated uninterrupted spaces extending completelyacrosseach of said remaining two quadrants respectively.

7. A device as defined in claim 6 wherein said fan. includes fan bladesthat are mounted for clockwise rotation when viewed from the front ofthe device, wherein" said vertically disposed louvers are located in thefirst and:

third quadrants of the deflector, and said horizontally disposed louversare located in the second and fourth: quardants of the deflector.

8. A device as defined in claim 6 wherein said fan includes fan bladesthat are mounted for counterclockwise rotation when viewed from thefront of the device, Wherein said vertically disposed louvers arelocated in the sec-- 0nd and fourth quadrants of the deflector, and saidhorizontally disposed louvers are located in the first and thirdquadrants of the deflector.

9. A device as defined in claim 6 wherein said fan includes fan bladesthat are mounted for clockwise rotation'when viewed from the front ofthe device, wherein said vertically disposed louvers are located in thesecond and fourth quadrants of the deflector, and said horizontallydisposed louvers are located in the first and third quadrants of saiddeflector.

10. A device as defined in claim 6 wherein said fan includes fan bladesthat are mounted for counterclockwise rotation when viewed from thefront of the device, where in said vertically disposed louvers arelocated inthe first and third quadrants of said deflector, and saidhorizontal 1y disposed louvers are located in the second and fourthquadrants of said deflector.

11. A device as defined in. claim 1 wherein said fan comprises fanblades mounted for clockwise rotation: whenviewe'd from the front of thedevice.

12. A device as defined inclaim- 1 wherein said fan cbmprises fan bladesmounted for counterclockwise rotation when viewed from the front of thedevice.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTSPersons May 2, 1933

